A Note from Canon Lauren Holder
Beloved Cathedral of St. Philip,
Just hours after Canon Zappa shared the news that she had accepted a call in Savannah, I received a call to be the next rector of St. Martin’s in-the-Field in Severna Park, Maryland. I am humbled, excited, sad, scared, and grateful.
This is a lot of change all at once—we all feel it. I want you to know that this parish is healthy and growing and good! I love this church and the life we share. As clergy, sometimes we need to move in response to God’s call and to grow ourselves. I am ready for this next chapter of ministry, but I will never be ready to leave you. I will always carry you in my heart.
I am so grateful for all the ways you have grown me as a priest and as a person. I have learned so much from you, and I take all of that with me to Severna Park. Your friendships, your trust in me, our common prayer, the joys and sorrows we have shared—I treasure all these things. You have loved me so well, and you have loved my family so well. You are the reason my children love church! Charlie and Lucy Rae feel safe, supported, and celebrated for who they are (not for who their mom is!) and I cannot thank you enough for being the church that you are for them. You will forever be the place they first learned to love Jesus: Thank you.
This Sunday, June 30, will be my last Sunday before starting a sabbatical of rest and pilgrimage. You may still see me around (the kids want to go to church!), but Sunday will be my last time preaching as a Canon in this parish. We will be visiting family most of July, moving in August, and then I will walk the Camino of Santiago de Compostela in September. I thank Dean Candler and the Cathedral of St. Philip for this sabbatical time, and I’m grateful St. Martin’s is honoring my need for sabbath before an October 1 start.
Please pray for my family as we uproot from this place we love, to look for a place to plant ourselves in Severna Park! St. Martin’s is a vibrant parish with a wonderful Episcopal school in a lovely town on the water. If you visit us, you will be greeted eagerly and warmly by people who love Jesus and love one another. And me! A priest who loves you.
Thank you, thank you, and bless you,
The Rev. Canon Lauren Holder, Canon for Community and Education
Congratulations, Lauren Holder!!
When Lauren Holder called me at 7:30 a.m. last Wednesday morning, I was reading in the Gospel of John, one of my favorite verses: “The wind (spirit) blows where it wills, and you hear the sound of it, but you do not know where it comes from or where it is going” (John 3:8).
I love that the spirit blew Lauren Holder into our lives seven years ago. She has brought us happiness and hope. She has preached and taught all ages. She has welcomed the newcomer and the stranger. She has served the poor and lonely. Indeed, she has been a loving and committed priest throughout the cathedral community. She has brought us energy and life. Thank you, Lauren!
Lately, many of us have realized that the spirit has been blowing in a new way in Lauren’s life; but we have not known where the spirit is blowing her. Now, the answer is clear. She is being called to be the rector of St. Martins-in-the-Field, Severna Park, Maryland. They are a fortunate parish.
Congratulations, Lauren! I join you in sadness that you will be leaving an excellent ministry here at the Cathedral of St. Philip. You have been a delight here, but I am also glad that the spirit is leading you to a new chapter in your life. You are following the spirit. And I am sure that the friendships and relationships you have formed here in Atlanta will remain strong with you.
I and the Cathedral of St. Philip are honored to have enjoyed your ministry here; and we are honored to send you forth in the spirit and in love!
Congratulations, Lauren!
The Very Rev. Sam Candler, Dean of the Cathedral